


Ghosts Of The Past

by love_write_edit_sleep



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dreams?, Family, Fluff, Gen, Ghosts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 22:33:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16049921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_write_edit_sleep/pseuds/love_write_edit_sleep
Summary: Connor meets Cole’s ghost. Gavin gets a reminder.





	Ghosts Of The Past

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_writers_phrase (On Instagram)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=the_writers_phrase+%28On+Instagram%29).



> Requested by The-Writers-Phrase on Instagram!

“Hello, Cole. It’s me, Connor.” Connor smiled down at the grave in front of him. “I must apologise… It is just me today. Hank is… struggling. It’s the anniversary of your death. Hank has yet to emerge from his bed.” Connor paused for a minute to sit down in front of the grave.

“Don’t worry, Gavin, Matthew and Richard are looking after him. I was on my way to buy him a burger to cheer him up, but I thought I should pay my respects beforehand, like Hank had wanted. He said it was too painful to talk to you today… There is a 97% chance he’ll be here in the next week.”

Connor leaned forward, picking weeds out the grass absentmindedly.

“Hank misses you… He talks about you a lot. I enjoy the story of how you persuaded him to adopt Sumo. I like Sumo. He makes us all happy. I feel you would have made us happy too. Hank says you were always happy, that you always found something to laugh about… For  _ him  _ to laugh about…” Connor’s smile faded as he gave in, slumping down on the grass as though he’d just powered down.

“I don’t want Hank to stop laughing… But I can’t bring you back…” Connor whispered, closing his eyes. “Nothing can bring you back…”

_ “Back where?” _

Connor sat up so quick he was certain he should have snapped a wire or two. He glanced around, wondering if he’d just imagined it, until his eyes fell on a small boy sitting on Cole’s gravestone.

A boy that looked exactly like Cole’s photo…

“...Cole?”

“Yeah?”

“This can’t be real…”

“Why not?”

“You’re… You’re…”

“Dead?” Cole smiled sadly. “Yeah, I know… Daddy was really upset…”

“Of course he was, he lost his child…”

“I didn’t mean to die…” Cole whispered before suddenly perking up. “You’re Connor.”

“I am.” Connor smiled. “I suppose I’m your little brother.”

“That’s weird. You look like a grown up.” Cole giggled.

“I do… But I’m only an infant, in Human terms. So are Matthew and Richard. Gavin is 38 now.”

“Wow, he’s crazy old… like Daddy!”

“I’m going to tell him you said that.” Connor chuckled. Cole giggled.

“Is Daddy gonna be okay?” Cole asked suddenly, his smile fading. “He’s sad…”

“I know…” Connor forced a smile. “But we’re doing our best to keep him happy.”

“He didn’t laugh before you came along.” Cole shrugged. “He just slept and drank those crazy big bottles and played with his gun…”

“He’s getting better, I promise.” Connor told him. 

“When I’m watching Daddy sometimes, there’s a lady with me watching Gavin. She misses him crazy much.”

“You know Gavin’s mother…?”

“No, we just sit together sometimes.”

“I see… Does she talk to you?”

“No, she just cries. She’s sad for him, I think.”

“Oh…”

“She tries to say that she loves him and calls him ‘Little Lion’ but he never hears. Daddy doesn’t hear me either.”

“Would you… like me to tell him something?” Connor asked, shifting slightly. Cole’s face lit up.

“Yeah! Can you tell him I miss him crazy big and love him crazy much?”

“Of course.” Connor beamed. Cole opened his mouth to speak, but froze.

“Gavin’s coming. You should wake up now.”

“Wake up-?”

“It was crazy awesome to meet you, Connor!”

“A-and you, Cole.”

“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” Connor gasped as a hand fell on his shoulder and turned to see Gavin standing behind him. “You been sitting there this whole time?”

“Gavin, I saw Cole.” Connor turned back to the stone, but Cole was gone. “He was here, I-I saw him-”

“You were fucking dreaming, man… Come on, Hank needs his burger.”

“He said your Mother was there too.”

“Fuck you, Connor!” Gavin suddenly grabbed the android’s collar and hauled him up. “That’s fucking low!”

“She calls you Little Lion.” Connor continued. “And she loves you very much but you never hear her.” Gavin’s expression fell as he dropped Connor.

“Little Lion…” Gavin blinked, looking down at Connor. “Fine, suppose you _ did  _ see a ghost, don’t tell Hank. It’ll fucking set him off.”

“But I have to tell him what Cole said!”

“You are not telling him what Cole said!”

* * *

Connor told him what Cole said.

“He said he missed you crazy big and loved you crazy much.” Connor smiled sadly at the man who had yet to get out of bed. Hank smiled softly.

“Picked that word up from preschool… Crazy… Said it in every other sentence, used to drive me nuts… I didn’t know how much I’d miss it…” Connor ducked his head.

“I’m sorry, Hank… He wanted me to tell you.”

“I still think you were dreaming.” Richard whispered. “Apologies, Papa, but I fail to see how a ghost is a logical, realistic explanation.”

“What else could it have been, if not a dream or a ghost?” Matthew asked.

“I never told any of you about how Cole used the word crazy, and Gavin sure as hell didn’t tell us about ‘Little Lion’.”

“I tried to climb into a lion exhibit at the zoo as a toddler. I almost made it, but Mom caught me and since then, I was her Little Lion. I never told anyone that. In all honesty, I’d forgotten.”

“I firmly believe it was Cole.” Connor spoke up. “I don’t understand how or why, but I saw Cole today, and I know he loves us.”

“If you believe it, then I believe it too.” Hank smiled. Richard and Matthew nodded in agreement, while Gavin left the room.

“Should I go after him…?” Connor asked. Hank shook his head.

“No… He needs a minute.”

* * *

Later that night, when everyone was asleep, Gavin sat on the couch, sipping a drink of warm milk.

“I don’t know if you’re there or not, Mom… But… Fuck… I miss you, there, I said it… I-I miss you. And I love you… Whatever…” Gavin sighed, putting his cup down and lying on the couch, pulling his blanket over himself.

He could have sworn he heard his mother’s voice calling him ‘Little Lion’... Though he claims it was a distant memory.


End file.
